Japan Favorites

  Kinkakuji Temple
by Rabbityama
 
  • Kinkakuji Temple
      Kinkakuji Temple
    by Rabbityama
  • Cherry Blossoms at Heian Shrine
      Cherry Blossoms at Heian Shrine
    by Rabbityama
  • Daigoji Temple
      Daigoji Temple
    by Rabbityama
  • Shimogamo Shrine
      Shimogamo Shrine
    by Rabbityama
  • People behaving bizarrely!
      People behaving bizarrely!
    by AKtravelers
 

Most Viewed Favorites in Japan

1.

Foods and Products   Tokyo

Foods and Products, Tokyo

 32 Reviews  When you go to a sushi restaurant, I was told by a Japanese friend not to dunk the rice part of sushi in the soy sauce, but just the fish (and don't let it swim!). Also, the best way to eat sushi is... 

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2.

City Districts   Kyoto

City Districts, Kyoto

 3 Reviews  Depending on how many days you are staying in Kyoto, map out the places you are going to see. The temples are located in different areas: 1. Higashiyama Area - The attractions around this area... 

 See All 191 Favorites in Kyoto

3.

Kansai international airport   Osaka

Kansai international airport, Osaka

 3 Reviews  While Kyoto represents the elegant past of Japan, Osaka being a modern city, offers the opposite Japanese experience. Osaka offers the hustling and bustling of a modern city; in fact it is so busy... 

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4.

Shrines & Temples   Nagoya

Shrines & Temples, Nagoya

 4 Reviews  The shops at Ossu-Kannon have some really great deals and some really unique stores. I found a complete kimono set for only about 10,000 yen (about $75 US). Just get off at the Kamemaezu or... 

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5.

Shrines and Temples   Tokyo

Shrines and Temples, Tokyo

 42 Reviews  The lucky charms in Japan can usually only be obtained at the shrines. They are usually categorized by the area of your wish such as “prosperous business”, “successful study”, “well-being of family”,... 

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6.

Tourist Information Center   Kyoto

Tourist Information Center, Kyoto

 6 Reviews  The Kyoto SGG Club,Goodwill Guide Volunteer Services of Kyoto, and the Rotary International District 2650 Club of Kyoto are giving away free maps to tourists in Kyoto. The map is in black and white... 

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7.

Umeda Skybuilding   Osaka

Umeda Skybuilding, Osaka

 9 Reviews  After a walk up at the observatory, we came down and found this little resting place just beside the building. The little "park" was bloom with some flowers and thought they were nice & pretty so took... 

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8.

People and Life   Tokyo

People and Life, Tokyo

 38 Reviews  The Love Hotel is a Japanese institution, where harried lovers find alone time away from gossiping office colleagues or crowded multi-generational homes with paper-thin walls. To attract patrons away... 

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9.

Internet Access   Kyoto

Internet Access, Kyoto

 2 Reviews  i found a nice place where you can use free internet, for an hour at a time..its "Campus Plaza" near the Kyoto station. if you exit the station on the north side, turn left and you will end up on a... 

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10.

walking   Osaka

walking, Osaka

 4 Reviews  OSAKA often seems like it has no main centre and is an overwhelming maze of small streets and alleys. Although this is true - do not be shy about walking around Osaka, to where-ever the road takes... 

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11.

Day Trip out of Tokyo   Tokyo

Day Trip out of Tokyo, Tokyo

 26 Reviews  On my first visit I didnt have chance to visit Disneyland. So for 2nd visit, I took my kids to Disneyland and they love it!. So many things to do there. A lot of Disney characters, show, Disney Sea,... 

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12.

Pontocho   Kyoto

Pontocho, Kyoto

 1 Review  DONT BE SHY ABOUT TAKING PEOPLES PHOTOS. In politically correct Australia, we fear taking peoples photos. So I have to do it as candidly as possible. But in Japan, Kyoto in particular - it was more... 

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13.

culture & history   Osaka

culture & history, Osaka

 4 Reviews  In early March or April, the Cherry Blossoms are a real sight to see! Anywhere in Japan during these months is time for Sakura! This is when cherry Blossoms bloom and it is such a wonderful/beautiful... 

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14.

Getting Around   Tokyo

Getting Around, Tokyo

 31 Reviews  what makes police in tokyo unique is the Koban System wherein a Koban is a typically a two-storied housing with a couple of rooms with from one to more than ten police oficers. The officers in these... 

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15.

temples & shrines   Osaka

temples & shrines, Osaka

 4 Reviews  This is one of the wooden statues found on either side of the main entrance into Shiittenoji Temple. These statues are at the entrances to all temples in Japan. They are guards placed to ward away... 

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16.

Managing Your Luggage   Tokyo

Managing Your Luggage, Tokyo

 8 Reviews   At Narita International Airport, delivery service counters will send luggage to your hotel the next day or from your hotel to the airport for about ¥2,000 for bags up to 20 kilograms .... 

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17.

Dotombori   Osaka

Dotombori, Osaka

 3 Reviews  Being at the busy and colorful streets in Dotonbori area at night is a real must. The colors of the advertising lights are bright and make the place so lively. It looks like more people like it... 

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18.

Travel Plan Examples   Tokyo

Travel Plan Examples, Tokyo

 6 Reviews  the number one tour company in the tokyo area, the hato bus company is an icon itself in the tokyo area hence i've made a separate things to do tip for hato bus tours here in my tokyo pages. Whether... 

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19.

castle   Osaka

castle, Osaka

 11 Reviews  The extensive grounds of Osaka Castle were impressive. The next night, friends took us to the top of a 7-story building with a rooftop entrance to a huge, red ferris wheel. High over the city's... 

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20.

City Overview   Tokyo

City Overview, Tokyo

 32 Reviews  Please note that all information written here is valid for September 2011. Due to the events of the major Earthquake roughly 200-300km north of Tokyo and the problems with the Fukushima Nuclear Power... 

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21.

zero (empty tips)   Osaka

zero (empty tips), Osaka

 5 Reviews  The two magazines pictured opposite are two of the most popular free papers in Japan. Both magazines are particularly useful for getting up to date listings of cinema, stage and live music... 

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22.

Facts and History   Tokyo

Facts and History, Tokyo

 18 Reviews  Before japan was famous (or notorious) for it's squat toilets wherein you just squat to tke a dump or pee but nowadays japan is now popularly known for its bidets and anus washes (lavatory) and it is... 

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23.

Shinsaibashi   Osaka

Shinsaibashi, Osaka

 2 Reviews  ShinshaibashiFountain display in the canal at Shinshaibashi. This place is full of happenings at night and is worth a visit. The brightly lit streets cris-crossed each others like a grid. You don't... 

 See All 74 Favorites in Osaka

24.

How to Survive   Tokyo

How to Survive, Tokyo

 7 Reviews  The International Roaming Rates of Mobile Phone Companies are sky high at $ 2.25 minute per call so your best bet while traveliing in japan is using a phone card like KDDI Super World Cards. These... 

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25.

Sightseeing outside Osaka   Osaka

Sightseeing outside Osaka, Osaka

 1 Review  Take a short ride (35 min.) by shinkansen to Himeji and go see Himeji Castle. I really enjoyed the aquarium even though I was there during the earthquake. I think the earthquake just made it more... 

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Reviews from VirtualTourist Members

Budget in Japan

by dru46

Food: Breakfast: 200~1000 Yen. This will generally be convenience food for 200, or Starbucks for 700 (including food). [Note that some hotels offer a free breakfast] Lunch: 500~2000 Yen. If you head to the fast food Japanese shops such as "Yoshinoya" (Rice with thin slices of beef and onions on top - 300 Yen) or "Tenya" (Tempura on rice 500+ Yen), it will be roughly 500 yen. If you go to a restaurant, you can expect up to 2000 Yen. Dinner: 2000~7000 Yen and up. I generally enjoy a nicer dinner when I travel. A cheap NICE meal would be roughly 2000 Yen, including a soft drink. Add around 500~700 Yen for a beer and you are looking at around 3000 Yen. If you go to a nice restaurant, the sky is the limit. All you can eat and drink menus tend to be around 3600~5000 Yen for 90 minutes. I rarely go over 5000 Yen per person for just a meal. If I'm going drinking after dinner, then I can spend up...

Japan Tourism Information

by salisbury3933

Japan Tourist is not a site that I am personally involved with, but it does have a lot of useful English language information particularly on Japan's regions.It is a useful site to visit for anyone looking to visit Japan.

Cultivating Bananas In Japan?

by taigaa001

Until recently cultivating bananas in Japan with the exception of Kyushu, Okinawa, Izu Islands and Bonin (Ogasawara) Islands areas meant that of Japanese Fiber Banana we call "BASHO". Basho, musa basjoo, is said to have been brought to Japan from China more than 1,000 years ago and in Okinawa they are cultivated for the material of garments. Today many horticulturists are trying to grow wide variety of banana plants that bears edible fruits. They even try outdoor cultivation of subtropical species in their farm or home gardens. It seems that banana cultivation is becoming a growing fad here. The reasons they take up growing bananas vary. The most prominent reason may have come from recent banana diet craze that swept over Japan around 2009. It's natural that they want to grow bananas themselves. Another reason is that they want to enjoy tropical atmosphere right at home. Some expect its...

Tip Photo
Moriaogaeru (Forest Green Tree Frog)

by taigaa001

Moriaogaeru, or forest green tree frogs are tree-living creatures that are known to lay foamy eggs to the trees during June and July. They are often associated with rural temples or shrines because these preccincts are usually rich in nature. Also shrines and temples treasured the arboreal amphibians because their foamy eggs symbolize vitality and prosperity. You may find the foamy eggs when you travel to old temples and shrines in Kyoto, Nikko, or Kamakura during rainy season in June. In Fujieda, Shizuoka-ken where I live they live in rural parts of the city such as Nishikata, Takizawa and Kurata areas. In Okabe areas they are more commonly seen. In many parts of Japan their habitats are heavily protected.

Tip Photo
Asking questions

by unaS

Most Japanese people do not speak English. They do learn English for 10 years in school but it is almost exclusively reading and writing.I found people very helpful, but to help them help me I needed to learn how to communicate.Carry a small shirt pocket size writing pad. Print - in capitals is best - your question and you will be guided with eagerness. Sign language, pointing, and even an escort to your destination is not unusual.A smile will go a l-o-n-g way!

Japanese Sake

by gogonicetrip

Sake is one of the most popular alcoholic beverages made from fermented rice. Today there are about 3000 manufacturers of refined Sake in Japan including Fukuoka and Kyushu area. Sake is made with steamed rice, yeast of rice, malted rice, and water.This is placed in vat, additional amounts of those ingredients are added in three cycles, and the mixture is left to ferment for 20 days.After fermentation the mixture is ready for pressing, figuration, and blending.The Sake is then pasteurized, butted, and stored.The alcohol content of crude Sake is about 40 proofs; Sake on the markets is about 32 proofs. A good-quality Sake has a subtle blend of so-called five flavors (sweetness, sourness, pungency, bitterness and astringency) and a mellow fragrance.

Tip Photo
Teaching English in Japan

by salisbury3933

I spent 4 years teaching, and whilst it's not as lucrative as it was, you earn enough to live, get some travel done, and save a little at the same time.There are a number of different chain schools, and also a government sponsored program. There are also hundreds of smaller schools throughout the country that sponsor teachers.Salaries tend to start from 250000 yen a month upwards, however salaries in the industry have been falling in recent times, and some companies (NOVA and GEOS) have gone under.There's no real career path to any of it, so probably it is best to think of it as similar to a working holiday.

Adaptor plugs in Japan

by DSwede

Japan uses 100V throughout the country. Frequency is 50Hz in Eastern Japan and 60Hz in Western Japan.Standard plug is the USA (NEMA) & Japanese 2-pin flat blade, types A & Bhttp://electricaloutlet.org/type-ahttp://electricaloutlet.org/type-b

My three month trip of Japan.

by metalmark666

Hi there.Went travelling around Japan for three months back at the end of 2008. Had the most amazing time and fell in live with the country. Visited numerous cities and towns and worked on a few farms under the WWOOF scheme.Kept a diary of the whole trip which I finally managed to type up and also filled with other information, pictures and tit-bits. I'd like to share it with everypne in the hope that it will inspire others to have an amazing adventure of their own.Japan 2008: Memoires of a Gaijin A.K.A. A Journey Through the Land of the Rising Sun

Breaking the Language Barrier

by walterwu

I found that if I attempt to speak to them in my pathetic japanese phrases (which I had no previous knowledge of), they will attempt to reply in English. Works most of the time.Most of them, it seems, know how to say numbers in English. I found this found when I always double check the platform to be when taking JR trains or metro subway by mentioning the destination station name and they would always says "Track ##".

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Questions and Answers

traveltastic profile photo

Q:  My partner and I have booked to go to Japan mid June and we now have the task of sorting out where to go. I currently have 2... 

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A: I would strongly suggest you add Kyoto to your list. It was the Imperial capital of Japan until the late 1800s when the capital was move to Edo (Tokyo). It's full of... 

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